How To Find Magic The Gathering Tournament Locations

Magic the Gathering is a massive trading card game, and with such a large player base there are hundreds of different tournaments a player can play in. Both new and old players alike can enjoy finding games to play with other lovers of the game, but how can you find tournaments in your area? Below are a few different resources and tips for finding the perfect place to enjoy a few games of Magic.

Wizards Store Locator

The “Wizards Store Locator” (http://locator.wizards.com) is the official store locator of Wizards of the Coast, and is a great starting point for finding a tournament near your zip code. With a very simple interface, and several filters to help meet your personal needs, this tool can find anything from average FNM tournaments to the most competitive Pro Tour Qualifiers. In my personal experience I have found it to be fairly accurate to find different locations, but for smaller tournament details I have had the best luck by visiting the stores. Overall, this is the best place to start to find different stores in your area, and make decisions of which ones to visit depending on your personal tournament wants.

MTGFinder.com

MTG Finder ( http://www.mtgfinder.com/mtgfinder/) is similar to the Wizards Store locator, using a zip code to find nearby tournaments, however it displays the results differently. Rather than simply giving a list of the stores near you, MTG Finder presents the information in an easy to process calendar. Having a calendar is nice to visually see what tournaments are in your area, and give you a comparison of what events are happening on certain days. This is another good resource if you know exactly what formats and tournaments you are looking to participate in, but you do not know when those are taking place.

Facebook

If you have already found a couple of stores in your area that you really enjoy playing at, then following them on Facebook is the best place to stay in the loops of upcoming tournaments. Most stores keep their Facebook pages updated to show upcoming tournaments, and are a great way to reach your local game shop with any questions. Often times smaller shops will also keep their followers updated on larger tournaments that are upcoming as well, that might be local but not at their store. Facebook is the best way to get specific details about tournaments and events near you, besides visiting the store in person to ask questions.

Other Thoughts

While the three sources above will likely be more than enough for most of you to find whichever tournaments you are looking for, the sources above may not work for you. Some people like to remain loyal to only one local game shop, while some people bounce around to find places with tournaments to fit their needs. What is most important is finding a way that works for you to find games, and having a system to check what tournaments are happening that works for you. The best way to get information is to visit the stores around you and ask around in person, as well as to become a part of a Magic community. Afterall, Magic is a game that is meant to be played with other people and is a great way make new friends. What is most important is you get out there and have fun.